Hymac
The Hymac Company established 1946, pioneer of the hydraulic 360 excavator, located at the Rhynmey Engineering plant in Wales, manufacturing machinery, and assembling the Hy-Hoe Excavator from the Hydraulic Machinery Company of America. Hy-mac UK then went on to design and manufacture its own hydraulic excavators and became a world leader in manufacturing a wide range of Hydraulic construction machinery. 1972 Hymac take over Whitlock Bros. the backhoe loader manufacturer est in 1899. The Hymac all hydraulic tracked excavators, (A Worlds First) and Hymac 370 wheeled backhoe loader range being the brand leaders. Hymac also designed and manufactured the Hymac Jupitor 1050 all hydraulic crane,first in the world. The "Hymac" brand name has been used in several variations over the years (Lower case, all caps and hyphenated versions) in the companies own marketing material and the livery/ decals on the machines. :HY-MAC/HYMAC/Hymac being the most common variations. HY-MAC was the US Registered Trade Mark of the Hydraulic Machinery Company America. The actual UK company HYMAC LIMITED dates back to 1946. The HY-MAC trade Mark was assigned to HYMAC LIMITED in 1972. History show]] The companies history like many other UK manufacturing firms has been complicated by the ups and downs of the economy and construction industry. This has resulted in many take overs and mergers with the brand being the 'public' face of the company and various corporate entities having control and marketing a variety of machines as HY-MAC, HYMAC and Hymac . Some of these machines were designed and built by them and some manufactured under License from other firma and also some just badge engineering of machines built by others, as is the case with a lot of brands today like Massey Ferguson who are now a brand and a subsidiary of AGCO with some items built by other companies in the group or external suppliers. The beginning Peter Hamilton Equipment Ltd started to import the American designed and built Hy-Hoe excavators in kit form. These were assembled at a factory in Rowesley Derbyshire. When HY-MAC America ceased manufacture in 1962 Hymac then took on the manufacturing rights, and Rymney Engineering stared manufacturing machines in South Wales, UK. The original Hy-Hoe design was not a 360 degree excavator but was limited to about 270 degrees as the slewing mechanism was chain driven.(see photo) The development of the Hymac 580 tracked (Imperial) excavator and the revised mark II version the Hymac 580B, was recognized by a British Design Council Award in 1967.See VADS web site The Hymac 580B was replaced by the Hymac 580BT (Better Tracks) and eventually by the Hymac 580C. A more complete range of Imperial excavators was introduced including Hynac 880 and the Hynac 1280 which had capacities of 1 cu yd and 1.5 cu yd respectively. To complement the tracked excavators a series of 4X4 wheeled equivalents were produced - the Hymac 610 being the 580 equivalent. The whole range became Metric with capacities based on the cu metre - the range being Hymac 590, 890 and 1290. Hymac also produced a range of access platforms, mainly Land Rover based and a range of wheeled and crawler cranes with capacities up to 75 tonnes.VADS web site - Reprint of 1967 Design council publication on hymac 580B development 1972-1980 Era ]] As part of the Powell Duffryn Group the Rhymney Engineering Company change it's name to reflect the Product name to Hy Mac. Powell Duffryn were a mini engineering conglomerate at the time with interests from coal to transport and shipping. The company having a long history in coal and shipping, which still continues today. Powell Duffryn also owned other British Engineering firms such as Belliss and Morcom and Hamworthy Engineering, as well as the US-based Air Compressor Products Inc. and Eagle Compresors Inc., manufacturers of Industrial compressors.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powell_Duffryn During the Powell Duffryn era, they built a 180 wheeled Backhoe Loader during the 1970s that had a heavy duty loader more like a loading shovel with arms made of solid steel 1½ thick rather than box beams. Some versions having High reach arms. These large machines had a flat deck cab, with good visibility from the raised position of the driver. This was based on the Whitlock 860 machine, Hymac having taken over Whitlock in 1972, a manufacturer of the Backhoe Loaders from 1952.CP&M VV6-5 p50 They also built a lot of wheeled 360 machines for scrap handling, fitted with 5 tine grabs or scrap magnets, often with raised cabs. Till scrap yards started being forced to modernise (cleaned up) under environmental rules introduced in the last few years, you would mainly see a Hymac or Atlas machine, or an old 22 RB crane in most yards. Now modern Terex built Fuchs and German Liebherr machines are predominant in the waste recycling industry. A few Caterpillar Inc. and Case material handlers are also about. During the Powell Duffryn ownership era the company was the Demag distributor for the UK. An advert from that period claims 7,500 Hymac 580 machines sold.Copy of Hymac advert on CMN site In the late 1980s a revised line of excavators with a new yellow colour scheme was launched. But too late to save them from the Japanese and other far eastern imports and their new (Japanese designed) line up. They generally had Ford engines, but some were fitted with Perkins units and a few with Rolls Royce engines. The 360 excavators were available with a variety of track and boom / dipper combinations. The Hymac operation was sold to the German IBH Group in about 1980. In 1978 Hymac & Priestman were involved in a court case about the use of the designation '580' on Priestman built machines.Oxford Journal - extract report on court case The model 580 being Hymacs most popular model. 1980-1984 ]] The IBH group was a German investment company that owned numerous engineering firms. IBH also owned the German firm Hanomag, but they went bankrupt in 1983 , when the bank that backed them got into difficulties. Hanomag was also linked with Massey Ferguson for a period, and built some of their construction plant models. Hanomag was partially taken over by Komatsu in 1989, with them becoming a 100% owned subsidiary of the Japanese firm in 2002. IBH also owned Euclid after it was divested by General Motors, but after IBH's collapse it reverted to GM till it was sold off and became part of Terex. By the early 80's the Hymac excavator range consisted of four basic models; crawler Hymac 580D/DS, the crawler 450E/ELC and its wheeled versions W450E + [[Hymac W250D|W350D, the crawler Hymac 201LC and its wheeled version Hymac W201 which were introduced in 1983 these were designed jointly by Hymac & Hanomag, prior to the IBH collapse in 1983.http://www.contractjournal.com/blogs/digger-blog/2008/09/hymac_memories.html 1984-1991 In 1984 Hymac was bought from the receivers by Northern Engineering Industries (NEI).NY Times article on sale Production of some Hymac models restarted near Wolverhampton. Then in 1987 the BM Group bought the company and renamed it Hymac Group Ltd. Then in 1988 ownership changed again after Gordon Brown (entrepreneur not British politician) (owner of Brown Anglo Scan Group) formed "Brown Engineering (Hymac) Ltd". They then to cut costs and offer more modern machines by selling badged Italian built machines from FAI Group. These were the Hymac W121 a 13 ton machine, Hymac 211 a 21 ton class model, and the Hymac 251 a 25 ton class machine. 1991-1993 Following the collapse of the Brown Group in 1991, Irish plant dealer John Kennedy then introduced some new models; the Hymac Synchron 1301 & Synchron 1501 in 1992 which featured Linde's Synchron load sensing hydraulic systems. But production of Hymac machines finally ceased in 1993. The very last machine ever built by Hymac was an model 181B 18t a sad end to yet another great British Engineering company. The Hymac name remains an iconic British Brand and many Hymac Machines remain in service around the world. The HYMAC Trade Mark IP property The mark (s) HYMAC and HY-MAC are Registered trade marks. Registered Details: * HY-MAC * 1 Berkeley Street Mayfair London W1J 8DJ. * info@hymac.com www.hymac.com Factories * Rowesley, Derbyshire. - 1962 to 19 ? * Rhymney, South Wales - 1946 to 1983 ? * Walsall, West Midlands. - 1983 to 1993 * Whitlock factory in Great Yeldham, Essex - ? Model Range * Hymac 201LC - 1980s designed with Hanomag ** Hymac W201 - 1980 wheeled version of 201 *Hymac 370 a wheeled Loader / Backhoe excavator. (based on the Whitlock designed machines) ** Hymac 370C a wheel loader / Backhoe excavator on an Ford skid unit. Built late 70-early 80's ** Hymac 370D (Prototype) New model under test when IBH ceased trading. Developed with Hanomag who carried on design & development to build the Hanomag HD60 backhoe loader.Classic Machinery Net post by IBH & others * Hymac 380 a 7 ton class 360 excavator. fitted with a Ford 4-cylinder engine. (only 15 were made). * Hymac 450E - 1980 * Hymac 450ELC - 1980 Long carriage version **Hymac W350D - 1980s Wheeled excavator **Hymac W450E - 1980s Wheeled excavator *Hymac 480 series tracked Excavator (only slewed 270 deg by a pair of rams and a chain drive round a pinion gear). **480 Excavator - 1962-1966 312 of these were manufactured **480 Tracked Crane - 196? (270deg slew) One of the surviving Examples is now owned by J.C. Balls & Sons and is exhibited in their collection of vintage machinery. It was part of the "Lighthouse Club" display at SED in 2009.Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 1 *Hymac 580 series - Tracked 360 Excavator, Built from 1964-87 in various versions (about 10,000 built) **580 - 5/8 cu yd **580B **580BT **580C **580CS **580CT **580D - 1980 **580DS - 1980 - Scandinavian version **580T Truck Chassis mounted 360 Excavator with bucker or Clamshell Grab. Fitted on a Bedford R 4x4 Chassis (others to Order) **580 Logger (as 580T above) fitted with 2 tine log grab & T bar to Boom. *Hymac 590 series **590C **590CT **596 *Hymac 690 *Hymac 800 series **880 **880C **890 **890CT *Hymac 1080 - 1966 fitted with a 165 hp Rolls Royce C4 TFL engine. *Hymac 1290 - 1970s 33ton (largest model built) *Hymac 1301 Synchron - 1993 *Hymac 121 - 1990s New Hymac 360 Excavator line *Hymac 141C - 1990s New Hymac 360 Excavator line ; Material Handlers *Hymac wheeled material handler **Hymac 410 wheeled material handler **Hymac 610 wheeled material handler **Hymac 595 wheeled material handler ; Mobile cranes * Whitlock built a 7 Ton all hydraulic mobile crane with a 24 ft-78 ft jib between 1965 and 67. Twenty were built on the Dodge D309 (LAD cab) chassis. The 1965 List price was £6,985.Classic Machinery Net Posted by XS650 (Craig) ; Forklifts * Hymac Overlander 45 a 2-wd Rough terrain forklift (RTF).On Classic Machinery Net photo of overlander * Hymac Mini Excavator - A Badge engineering job - very few sold. Some reports say 2 models were offered. ;Australia * It is claimed a few Hymac 580 machines were built under license by the Australian distributor.On Classic Machinery Net post in Hymac section ;Other products * Hymac speedboats - photo below (Sponsor ship of a powerboat racing team) Brown/FAI Hymac range The badge engineered range introduced in the 1980s.Hymac Brochure on Ceforum posted by Lord Sean * Hymac 121C - 12.7 ton, 089 cu yd, 78 hp * Hymac 141C - 14 ton, 1.0 cu yd, 78 hp * Hymac 181B - 19 ton, 1.3 cu yd, 104 hp * Hymac 211 - 21 ton, 1.4 cu yd, 108 hp * Hymac 251 - 25 ton, 1.7 cu yd, 128 hp * Hymac 301 - 33 ton, 2.6 cu yd, 210 hp * Hymac W121 Wheeled version 13 ton, 0.78 cuyd, 77 hp Gallery of Images DOC160212-0001-001.jpg|Hymac 370C Details. machine2.jpg|Hymac 1080 excavator. File:Hymac-370-dig.jpg|Hymac 370 publicity photo Hy-mac history.jpg|Company history HY-MAC 580C-HY-MAC NIBBLER.jpg|Hymac 580C with a HY-MAC designed Concrete nibbler Hymac-590.jpg|Hymac 590 Hymac-fb-br.jpg Hymac-fb-ox.jpg|Hymac cherry picker HY-MAC GRAPHIC CHART..jpg|Hymac Excavator operating chart. 0_Hymac_a70_escavgomm.jpg|Hymac 595 wheeled 360 excavator. HY-MAC 595 ..jpg|Hymac 595. HY-MAC 580C FITTED WITH A GRAPPLEL ATTACHMENT..jpg|Hymac 580C material handler. HYMAC RANGE..jpg|"Hymac Product range" - Illustrated leaflet hymacbackoe02.jpg|Hymac 180C Work Master backhoe loader. hymacexcavator008.jpg|Hymac excavator. HY-MAC 890..jpg|Hymac 890. Doug Potter HYMAC.jpg|Hymac 141 with demonstrator Doug Potter. HY-MAC FORKLIFT..jpg|Hymac forklift 0_Hymac_a90_escav_5.jpg|HY-MAC 1301 BROSHURE. HY-MAC JUPITOR CRANE.jpg|HY-MAC 1050 JUPITOR HIGH LIFT CRANE 1968. HY-MAC 580. SHEEP.jpg|HY-MAC 580C. hymac-watersite.jpg|An early HY-MAC Hy mac 2.jpg Hy mac 4.jpg Hymac 580-dig.jpg Hymac-fb-rb.jpg Hymacshow.jpg Hymacmilitery.jpg Hymac-watersite.jpg Hymac 370-f.jpg Hymac-370did-3.jpg HY-MAC 580C- IRE.jpg HYMAC 580CT.jpg|Hymac 580CT HY-MAC 580BT..jpg|HY-MAC 580BT TRACKED EXCAVATOR. HY-MAC 6CYL FORD ENGINE FROM HM 580BT..jpg|FORD 6CYL ENGINE FROM A HY-MAC 580BT. HY-MAC CAST..jpg|HY-MAC CAST BACK END. HY-MAC DEALER BADGE..jpg|HY-MAC DEALER BADGE. HY-MAC 370 3CYL LEYLAND ENGINE..jpg|HY-MAC 370 BACKHOE LOADER 3CYL LEYLAND ENGINE. hymac1290197130.jpg|Hymac Face Shovel hymac580d.jpg|Hymac 580D hymac880_01.jpg|Hymac 880 HYMAC McGEE.jpg|A Hymac Excavator and a Magirus Deutz 232DFK 4WD tractor HYMAC 880 AT WORK.jpg|Hymac 880 on pipe line contract HYMAC BUDGE MINNING.jpg|Hymac at A F BUDGE Mine site in England DOC160212-0001.jpg|HYMAC Hyghwayman Excavator on a USG-PITT Bedford 4WD machine1.jpg|Hymac 1080 Crane The first all hydraulic crane in the world. HY-MAC SPEED BOAT TEAM 1970.jpg|HY-MAC 'branded' speed boat 1970 Hymacboat.jpg HYMAC DOW PLANT HIRE.jpg|Hymac of Ww Dow Plant Hire HYMAC P B DONOGHUE.jpg|HYMAC of P B DONOGHUE London HYMAC PILING RIG.jpg|HYMAC Piling rig HYMAC 1501.jpg|Hymac 1501 hymac_dredging.jpg|Dredging a canal. hymac_forest.jpg|Forestry Harvesting. HY-MAC WORKING ON A PIPE LINE..jpg|Hymac with a grab attached on pipe line work. HY-MAC..jpg|HY-MAC excavator. HY-MAC 580C.jpg HY-MAC CLEARING SNOW FROM RAIL LINES IN PERTH SCOTLAND..jpg|HY-MAC excavator on snow clearing works HY-MAC 580 SWAMP TRACKS..jpg|Hymac 580C ON SWAMP TRACKS. HY-MAC KELLER.jpg|HY-MAC EXCAVATOR OWNED BY THE Keller Group. HY-MAC NEI 210.JPG|NEI era model 210 389715_2652841299141_1799052862_1553133_851262285_n.jpg|Scale model of Hymac 580 on low loader with Scania tractor unit HY-MAC CRANE..jpg|Hymac Crane. HY-MAC,S IN YARD..jpg|HY-MAC'S IN CJM YARD. HY-MAC 580BT LOCATED IN SWEDEN..jpg|Hymac 580BT located in Sweden. HY-MAC 580BT. SWEDEN-2.jpg|Hymac 580BT. HY-MAC 580C. OWNER DAVID MATTSSON..jpg|Hymac 580C. HY-MAC 580C LOCATED IN NEWZELAND..jpg|Hymac 580C in New Zealand. HY-MAC'S WORKING ON THE BASINGSTOKE CANAL ERA 1970'84..jpg|HY-MAC'S WORKING ON THE BASINGSTOKE CANAL 1979-84. 0_Hy_mac_880-04a_JPG_a70_escavat.JPG|Hymac 880 EXCAVATOR HY-MAC 890 FACE SHOVEL.jpg|Hymac 890 Face Shovel in the livery of the Fairclough Co.. HY-MAC CHERRY PICKER ON LANDROVER.jpg|Hymac Cherry Picker mounted on a Land Rover 1970 from the Welsh Electricty company HY-MAC CHERRY PICKER LANDROVER -2.jpg|HY-MAC Cherry picker Boom. HY-MAC 370C 4 IN 1 BUCKET-2.jpg|Hymac 370C fitted with 4 IN 1 Bucket option HY-MAC 370C 4 IN 1 BUCKET-5.jpg|Hymac 370C Backhoe Loader HY-MAC 370C-4 IN 1 BUCKET.jpg|Side view of a Hymac 370C HY-MAC 580C IN 1970 EAST LONON..jpg|HY-MAC 580C from 1970 in East London. HY-MAC 610 RUBBER DUCK, Still operating in South America..jpg|HY-MAC 610 Rubber Duck, Operating in South America. HY-MAC 610 RUBBER DUCK..jpg|HY-MAC 610 'Rubber Duck' 0 Hy Mac a70 escav_008.jpg|HY-MAC 580 HY-MAC EXCAVATOR..jpg|HY-MAC excavtor Hymac excavator at GDSF 08.jpg|Hymac ? demonstration of dig capacity at GDSF in 2008 HY-MAC 580 DELIVERY.jpg HY-MAC 580 GROUP.jpg HY-MAC 580. Chatham Docks..jpg|HY-MAC 580 EXCAVATOR. Chatham Docks. HY-MAC 4X4 BACKHOE LOADER 1985.3.JPG|HY-MAC 4X4 BACKHOE LOADER. File:HYMAC_MALCOLM.13.jpg|HY-MAC 580C Excavator & Atkinson Low Loader Tractor Unit. From Malcolm Plant & Haulage Scotlands vintage collection. Refurbished machines .]] A number of company's have and some still do a service to refurbish these machines as a number of users like the simplicity of a machine without the complex electronics of modern machines, for use in occasional light use application or modified as tool carriers for drilling rig used for grouting mine workings or with extra wide tracks on peat extraction duties. The Machinery Forums report sighting of a number still in use around the world. They were a popular machine in scrap yards along with Atlas, but as the industry modernizes and consolidates to a few bigger operators the old yards are closing and new 'recycling centres' are being equipped with modern Caterpillar, Fuchs, JCB, and Liebherr material handling machines with long reach booms, high lift cabs and rotator grabs in-place of the old magnet on a chain. Recently several machines have been refurbished in the UK for continued commercial service in scrap yards and as piling hammer bases.Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine issue ? 2012 Hymac Parts Hymac Parts and Services LTDClassic Plant & Machinery Magazine article on company Official Hymac Parts & Service parts supplier. Other suppliers * Hydraulic Plant Services based Near East Grinstead West Sussex Supply a full Range of HY-MAC replacement parts. * Several other companies offer used and reconditioned parts. Preserved machines offered for sale in the Auction at the Welland Steam and Country Rally July 2010]] *The collection of J.C. Balls & Sons has an unusual (unique ?) surviving Hymac 480 Crane (Photo above) * A one owner Hymac 380 is in preservation now in Scotland, after working for one firm for 40 years. Only a few hundred of these were built from the imported US manufactured kits.CP&M vol1 no. 4 * A few are with collector in Scandinavia were they were a popular machine. * A long reach model was featured in Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine last year. * Malcolm Plant UK have a reworked Hymac 580D on show. * There are still a lot of original HY-MAC'S in use, and a number of fully rebuilt models. Two were recently featured (June 2012) in Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine after being rebuilt to continue working for there owner after many years service in a West Midlands scrap yard. See also *List of Engine Manufacturers *List of Construction Plant Manufacturers **JCB **Steelfab **Whitlock ;Collector related pages *Collections *Shows and Meets *Clubs *Web Site Links References *Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine *Earthmovers Magazine External links *Article on Hymac design innovation from Design Journal 1967 *New web site www.hymac.com for The 'New' HY-MAC company. Category:Hymac Category:Companies of the United Kingdom Category:Construction plant manufacturers Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom Category:Excavators Category:Wheeled excavators Category:Backhoe loaders Category:Brown Engineering Category:BM Group Category:NEI Group Category:Powell Duffryn Group Category:Wheeled excavator manufacturers Category:Companies founded in 1946